Monash University study notes from the National Centre for Australian
Studies' course.
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These notes form part of the Australian Studies course entitled Contemporary
Australia developed by the National Centre for Australian Studies
at Monash University in conjuction with Open Learning Australia.

The Radio Australia series Australia Now was developed to complement
this course. Contemporary Australia provides a perspective on contemporary
Australian society for students in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
It is also intended to be of interest to overseas students currently
studying in Australia at schools and universities.

Contemporary Australia is available only as a virtual World Wide
Web-based unit of the Australian Studies course at Monash University.

What does it mean to be Australian in a multicultural society? Is
there an elusive quality, a national identity, which binds
us all as Australians? And what about the Australian way of
life ? Does it still reflect the traditional virtues of egalitarianism,
classlessness, a fair go, stoicism and mateship?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been living on
the Australian continent for around 50,000 years.
The indigenous population has survived to claim their rights and a
strong voice in society.

Australia has many diverse and beautiful environments. The struggle
to retain this national heritage has been a prominent feature of contemporary
Australia, as has an awareness that this generation of Australians
face the challenge of building a sustainable future in the worlds
driest continent.

Australia is the most urbanized nation on earth, yet the bush
has had a great influence on the national psyche. What is it like
to live in the great Australian cities today and how are they changing?
Why does the bush have such an influence on Australian politics, and
are Australians really exiles from the empty forests and plains of
the interior?

Why has Australia managed to avoid many of the crises that beset
the world today? Is it just pure luck or has it something to do with
good management? Australian prosperity is the envy of many other nations
but is this likely
to continue for future generations? Australia has always been tied
to the world, and its own region. Can it escape the negative impact
of globalization in the 21st century?

The clever country, with education as a leading export industry.
University education is burgeoning and is increasingly globalised.
Monash University, for example, has created overseas campuses and,
like many of its counterparts, is drawing in large numbers of overseas
students from the Asia Pacific region. Off-campus learning is a growing
sector and has made strong use of the new communication technologies.

The unique composition of the Australian people: migration, multiculturalism
and harmonious diversity. The Pauline Hanson phenomenon, refugees,
indigenous issues and growing Asian migration. The issue of population
growth: Populate or perish!

Australia as a democratic constitutional monarchy and the great Victorian
age of democratic reform. The federal system in which conservative
and labour politics are vigorously pursued. The major issues of the
day.

Opposition to the monarchy in Australia. The republican nature of
Australian life. 1975: a year of constitutional crisis. The failure
of the 1999 referendum and the future of the monarchy in Australia.

Australia as an Asian country. The British imperial nexus and its
complexities: relations with the USA and Japan. The consequences of
the Great Pacific War 1941-1945. Is there such a thing as friends
in international relations?

The struggle to develop and maintain a national identity in the face
of global culture. Support for Australian identity and culture in
the media, the impact of Australian films. Sports mania, Aussie
Rulesand sporting heroes.

Some futures for Australia, the impact of technology on a technology-loving
people. Population levels and a sustainable future. John Howards
view on Australia in the post S11 world: the age of terrorism.